Remote control apparatus



Sept. 10, w nr AL REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS Filed April 6, 1932 FIG!INVENTORS; EWHlTBY I.A.D.PEDLER E.J.$ELSTON L..R.LE'$TER A.J. NEWMANATTORNEZ Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOTECONTROL APPARATUS Ernest Whitby,

London, Durant Pedler, Ernest Joseph Selston,

and Ivor Augustus and Application April 6, 1932, Serial No. 603,670 InGreat Britain April 20, 1931 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to remote control apparatus, and moreparticularly to apparatus for the remote control of switches or otherelectrical apparatus.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrates embodiments of the invention, and together with thedescription, serves to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one of the embodiments ofthe present invention; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic View illustrating another typicalembodiment of the invention.

The present invention has for its objects the provision of a novel andimproved remote control system for selectively performing differentoperations. Another object is the provision of an improved remotecontrol system which is reliable in operation and simple inconstruction. Still another object is the provision of an improvedstep-by-step switching apparatus for selectively performing variousoperations.

In accordance with the present invention, an electromagneticstep-by-step actuated contact selector mechanism is provided in whichthe selection of the desired contact is determined by the number ofimpulses received by the selector mechanism. Means are also provided formomentarily passing an electric current through the selected contact, toeffect the desired operation, and for initiating operation of a resetmechanism by which the contact selector mechanism is returned to itsinitial position to await a new series of impulses. In such a mechanism,the series of contacts are preferably arranged in a circular path, andthe selector comprises a contact arm moved step-by-step by impulsesreceived by its actuating mechanism. The first impulse received by theactuating mechanism moves the contact arm from its position of rest, andalso starts the operation of the resetting mechanism, which operatesconsiderably slower than the actuating mechanism. The number of impulsesreceived determines the particular contact to which the arm is moved,and after the contact arm has been moved to its proper position amomentary current is passed through the contact 5 arm and the particularapparatus connected therewith. Thereafter, the operation of the resetmechanism continues, finally returning the contact arm to its initialposition and also stopping the operation of the reset mechanism.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and thefollowing detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of theinvention, but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the present illustrative embodiment of theinvention as shown in the accompanying drawing, the apparatus includesthree principal parts: the step-by-step' actuating mechanism, thecontact selector, and the resetting mechanism.

The step-by-step actuating mechanism comprises an electromagnet inhaving a pivoted armature II to which is pivoted a pawl rod I2cooperating with ratchet l 3 to move it in the direction of the arrow. Adetent i4 is provided to prevent retrograde movement of the ratchet,while a return spring I5 is connected with the pawl rod I2 and actuatesthe pawl after it has been retracted by its armature H. lheelectromagnetl0 receives its energizing current from the wires I6, by which it isconnected with an impulse transmitter (not shown) adapted to transmitany desired number of impulses with more or less predeterminedregularity.

The contact selector comprises a disc 20, formed with a peripheral notch2| and a laterally extending arm 22 rigidly fastened to the disc. Acontact arm 23 is mounted between ratchet l3 and disc 20, and is heldagainst angular displacement with respect thereto by means of screws 24.Arm 23 is adapted to coact with contacts 25, arranged in a circularseries, and is electrically connected with a slip ring 26 through whichit receives current from brush 21. Ann 23, disc 20 and ratchet 13 arefreely rotatable on shaft 28 and are moved thereabout by means of themagnet I 0 and pawl, so that continued operation of the pawl causes thecontact arm to be passed over the several contacts 25 in sequence.Preferably, the teeth of the ratchet i3, and the stroke of the pawl areso related to the spacing of the contacts 25 that three impulses arerequired to move the contact arm from one contact to the next, but thisnumber may be varied.

The resetting mechanism comprises a motor 5 v 30, such as a smallFerraris motor, which is geared to a disc 3! rotatable on shaft 28 bymeans of gearing 32. The motor receives its energizing power from themains through conductors 34 5 and a switch comprising contacts mountedon springs 35 and 36, normally spaced apart but pressed together toclose the motor circuit as disc 20 is moved from its normal position ofrest and notch 22 is moved away from the spring 35. Disc 3| is providedwith a laterally extending arm 3'! to contact with arm 22 as the disc21"! rotates and thereby move disc 26 and its connected contact arm 23to their initial position at which time notch 2! permits the springs 35and 33 to move apart opening the motor circuit and stopping operation ofthe resetting mechanism.

Disc Si is also provided with a projection 38 adapted to contact with aprojection on contact spring 38 and mon'ien'tarily move it into contactwith its cooperating cont-act spring it. As these contacts on springs 33and 65? are closed, current is supplied from mains v33 throughconductors 4| the switch formed by springs 39 and 39, brush 2?, contactarm 23 and the selected contact 25 to supply current to the selected oneof the several mechanisms 42 to be operated.

The mechanisms 42 may be switching mechanisms, register-shiftingelectromagnets in a multiple-rate meter or other control mechanismsadapted for selective operation.

The speed of motor 36 and the gear ratio between it and the disc 3! ispreferably so related to the normal speed of operation of ratchet l3that the contact arm will be moved from its normal position andsequentially into contact with all of the contacts 25 before projection38 has been moved to close switch 39, 43, thereby insuring that themomentary supply of current to contact arm 23 will not occur until afterarm 23 40. has been moved into operative relation with respect to thedesired contact 25.

The operation of the above-described mechanism may be summarized asfollows: A plurality of short, rapid impulses are transmitted and re- 45ceived by the electro-magnet l0, causing the ratchet I3, contact arm 23and disc 20 to be rotated step by step until contact arm 23 is incontact, with one of the contacts 25, the selection of any particularcontact being determined by the 50 number of impulses received. Thefirst of these impulses moves notch 21 on disc 26 out of position withrespect to the spring 35, thereby closing the resetting motor circuitand starting motor 39 in operation. Reset motor .36 drives disc 3! inthedirection of the arrow and after contact arm 23 has engaged theproper contact, the projection 33 on disc 3| closes the switch 39, 43and supplies current to the brush 2! to energize the mechanism 42corresponding to the selected con- 60 tact. Disc 3! continues to rotateand arm 31 engages arm 22 to force disc 26, contact arm 23 and ratchet!3 around to their initial position, at which point contacts 35 areopened preventing further operation of the resetting motor 30.

65 Faulty operation of the apparatus is substantially prevented bymaking the ratchet teeth considerably more numerous than the number ofcontacts thereby requiring several impulses to move the contact arm fromone contact to the 70 next. Furthermore, in case a single faulty impulseis received during an inoperative period, the resetting motor isimmediately placed in operation, returning the parts to their correctinitial position, and due to the smaller angle between 75 the projection38 and spring 39 than between the normal position of contact arm 23 andthe first contact 25, the momentary impulse through contacts 39 and Gilis not transmitted to any of the mechanisms 42.

In a modified embodiment, as shown in Fig- 5 ure 2, spring mountedcontacts may be provided in place of the contacts 25, and disc 20, andcontact arm 23 may be replaced by an arm 50. As embodied, arm 50 ismounted on shaft 28 and is driven step-by-step by means of ratchet I3 to10 which it is rigidly fastened. In its normal position of rest, arm 50holds open the spring mounted contacts 35', 35' preventing operation ofthe resetting motor, but as soon as the arm is moved from this position,these contacts close and place 15 the resetting motor 30 in operation.The selectively closed contacts for controlling the various mechanisms42 each comprise a pair of spring mounted contacts 52, normally spacedapart but closed by pressure of arm 53 as it moves about 20 shaft 28.Contacts 52 are arranged in a circular path so that they aresequentially closed by passage of arm 50. These contacts 52 areconnected 1 in parallel with respect to each other, but are connected inseries with the momentarily closed 25 switch 39, and also in series withtheir respective mechanisms 42. The contact selector arm 50 may be movedand reset by mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

The invention in its broader aspects is not lim- 30 ited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advan- 35tages.

What we claim is:

1. An electrical remote control receiving de-- vice including incombination a plurality of contacts, a rotary contact selector for saidcontacts 40' and having a normal position, a motor driven rotaryresetting device for the contact selector and coaxial therewith, impulseactuated-means for rotating said selector, means for supplying currentto said motor after a first'impulse and 45' until said selector iscompletely reset, and a switch operated by said resetting device forsupplying current to said selected contact a predetermined time aftersaid first impulse, after selec-' tion ofone of said contacts and beforeresetting of the contact selector.

2. An electrical remote control receiving device including incombination a plurality of contacts,

a rotary contact selector for said contacts and having a normalposition, impulse actuated means for rotating said selector, means forsupplying current to the selected contact andreset- I ting meansincluding a motor driven rotary member to rotate said selector to itsoriginal, normalposition and set in operation by a first impulse 6O forcontrolling the supply of current to said selected contact, meansconnecting said rotary member and selector permitting said selector tobe moved ahead of said member and means for stopping said motor whensaid selector has been fully reset, the speed of said motor beingsufiiciently slow to permit selection of any contact before current issupplied to the selected contact and before resetting of the contactselector.

3. An electrical remote control receiving device including incombination a plurality of contacts, a rotary contact selector for saidcontacts and having a normal position, impulse actuated means forrotating said selector, means for supplying current to-the selectedcontact and reset r ting means including a motor-driven rotary member torotate said selector to its original position and set in operation by afirst impulse and having a cam for controlling and timing the supply ofcurrent to said selected contact, a lost motion connection between saidselector and member permitting movement of said selector ahead of saidmember, the speed of said motor being sumciently slow to permitselection of any contact before current is supplied to the selectedcontact and before resetting of the contact selector and a cam driven bythe motor controlling the power supplied to the motor for starting andstopping the motor.

4. An electrical remote control receiving device including incombination a plurality of contact segments, a rotatable contact tocontact sequentially with said segments and having a normal position, asolenoid operated pawl and ratchet for advancing the rotatable contactto select one of the contact segments, a motor, a cam fixed to therotatable contact, a switch controlling the power supplied to the motorand operated by the cam to start the motor upon the first operation ofthe solenoid and to stop the motor when the rotatable contact has beenreturned to its normal position, a switch operated by the motor forsupplying a single impulse through the selected contact segment afterselection and a 10st motion device interconnecting the motor androtatable contact for returning the contact to its original positionafter an impulse has been transmitted through it.

ERNEST WHITBY. LLEWELLYN ROLLS LESTER. ARTHUR JOSEPH NEWMAN. IVORAUGUSTUS DURANT PEDLER, ERNEST JOSEPH SELSTON.

